Effects of Polyoxyethylene Cetyl Ether on the Cellular Uptake and Antibacterial Activity of Butyl p-Hydroxybenzoate against Escherichia coli.

Abstract

The effects of polyoxyethylene cetyl ether (PCE) on the cellular uptake and the antibacterial activity of butyl p-hydroxybenzoate (BP) by bacteria were studied using an aqueous suspension of Escherichia coli. The BP in the cell suspension was distributed in the cells and aqueous phase. PCE added to the BP solution was responsible for reducing the BP uptake into the cells and inhibiting the antibacterial activity of BP due to the formation of a complex between BP and PCE micelles. The uptake and antibacterial activity of BP were proportional to the unbound BP concentration in the aqueous bulk solution. However, the addition of PCE repressed BP uptake in the cells and enhanced BP activity compared with those values expected from unbound BP in the aqueous surfactant solution. These results suggested that direct interactions between PCE and bacterial cells increased the susceptibility of bacteria. The decrease in BP uptake into bacterial cells was thus concluded to be responsible for the reduction in the antibacterial activity of BP in an aqueous surfactant solution, and the measurement of paraben uptake by microbial cells was found to be a reliable means for assessing inactivation in an aqueous solution in the presence of surfactants.

Preparation of novel antimicrobial-modified starch and its adsorption on cellulose fibers: Part I. Optimization of synthetic conditions and antimicrobial activities

“…The blank paper sheet was used as a negative control, while triclosan or butylparaben treated sheets were used as positive controls. Triclosan and butylparaben have excellent bacteriostasis for the common bacteria and fungi (Heath et al 1999;Fukahori et al 1998). They have been used extensively in cosmetics, medicine, food and other industrial products.…”

Solubilization of Parabens in Aqueous Pluronic Solutions: Investigating the Micellar Growth and Interaction as a Function of Paraben Composition

“…The substances that increase their hydrophilic character, on the other hand, show exactly opposite effects that lead to the destabilization of micelles. Parabens are slightly water-soluble hydrotropes that find widespread uses as preservatives in personal care, pharmaceuticals, and food products because of their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. − It has been observed that they work only in the aqueous medium and their effectiveness decreases in the presence of surfactants because of their entrapment in the micelles. − Their effect on aqueous Pluronic systems, however, is important in view of its possible application as preservatives in Pluronic based formulations. It has been shown that parabens increase the hydrophobicity of the Pluronic molecules by interacting with them and consequently decrease the CMC and gelation temperature of the aqueous Pluronic solutions. − The effect of parabens on the growth and interaction of the Pluronic micelles which can have significant influence on the rheological behavior of the Pluronic based formulations are, however, not understood.…”

Bacterial Susceptibility to Butyl p-Hydroxybenzoate in the Presence of Polyoxyethylene Cetyl Ether.

“…The possible mode of the inactivation of parabens by non-ionic surfactants is a decrease in free parabens in the aqueous phase resulting from interactions between parabens and surfactant micelles, followed by the reduction of paraben uptake into microorganisms, as described in previous papers (Fukahori et al, 1996a(Fukahori et al, , 1998 . In this paper, the effects of polyoxyethylene cetyl ether on the susceptibility of bacteria to butyl paraben were studied using five strains of bacteria with a difference in the gram staining property.…”